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Saturday, June 16

UPDATEI've heard from an expert who's been tracking the virus. He assured me the H7N9 strain is nothing to worry about. It's a shame I didn't think to ask for his analysis BEFORE I posted the Sun report. I've written him back to ask if I could publish his explanation on why he's not worried about Disease X. But right now I'm cross-eyed from lack of sleep and must hit the sack. END UPDATE

Older people, pregnant women and those with existing health problems are most at risk, according to the World Health Organization.

Bird flu can spread to people when they have direct contact with the infection. This can occur when humans touch dead or alive contaminated birds, their droppings or secretions from their eyes.

Visiting live bird markets in countries that have suffered from avian flu outbreaks is sometimes also a cause for concern.

The NHS explains that “close and prolonged contact with an infected bird is generally required for the infection to spread to humans.

[END REPORT]

The headline at Drudge Report is wrong; at this point the virus kills 38 percent of the people infected, not 50 percent, but thanks to Drudge for the alert.This is the first I'm learning about the virus. But the statement in the report "Bird flu can spread to people when they have direct contact with the infection" is only correct as far as it goes. The virus can also be transmitted across a distance in aerosolized form (droplets carried through the air by coughing, etc.) and on dust motes wafting through the air.So if/when a virus reassorts ('mutates') to the point where it can be transmitted human to human, one big question is always how easily it can spread.

We'll just have to wait and see what the Disease X virus does. It could always reassort to a less lethal form.*********